Jian Hualin’s single sentence stirred up a thousand waves. No one in the family had expected him to settle Jian Lu’s marriage so quickly—and with a live-in son-in-law, no less.
Zhang Cuixia stammered, hardly able to believe it. “Old Jian, you really found a live-in son-in-law?”
Not bearing a son for the Jian family had always been a pain in Zhang Cuixia’s heart. She couldn’t hold her head up because of it. Every time she heard people in the production brigade discussing whose family had a son, she always felt they were talking about her—it was unbearable to hear. Not to mention her husband’s and mother-in-law’s attitudes.
The Jian Hualin family had split off from the household after his father died of illness. His mother lived with Jian Hualin’s fourth brother, Jian Huashan, and his family. Jian Huashan’s household was the successful one—they’d had one daughter and three sons in a row. In everyone’s eyes, they truly held up the family line. Both families had four children, but the fourth brother’s family had three sons, which naturally made Jian Hualin’s family look even worse by comparison. Jian Hualin’s mother didn’t think much of Zhang Cuixia either—they only saw each other during holidays.
They had considered adopting a boy to raise, but during the famine years a few years back, everyone went hungry. They simply had no ability to raise another child. Besides, any family with enough food to eat—who would be willing to give away their own son?
But having a live-in son-in-law really would be different. The more Zhang Cuixia thought about it, the more delighted she felt!
Jian Hualin smiled smugly, wolfed down the rest of his cornbread in a few bites, then announced loudly, “Of course! I’ve already discussed it with Hong Qiang. That kid Hong Qiang is not bad—tall and sturdy, strong. When he joins our family, he’ll be a strong laborer.”
Currently, the Jian family had only one strong laborer. Jian Hualin could earn ten work points working in the fields. Zhang Cuixia could barely manage seven or eight. The remaining daughters earned six work points at most. The Jian family’s situation truly wasn’t as good as others’—fewer work points meant less grain allocated at year’s end.
Jian Xin hadn’t expected that not long after her own marriage, her fourth sister would also be getting married. Fortunately, she’d still be at home. A live-in son-in-law was notoriously looked down upon. Thinking this way, Jian Xin felt happy for her fourth sister again.
After all, her fourth sister had always been soft-natured. Staying at home would be better than going to live with in-laws.
But Jian Lu didn’t think so. It seemed the plot had still come to this. She’d only transmigrated three days ago and had just barely figured out the original book’s setting and the production brigade’s neighbors—and now the live-in son-in-law was already coming?
She tentatively spoke up. “Dad, I don’t want to marry Hong Qiang.”
Jian Hualin was a feudal, autocratic patriarch—and the Jian family’s only strong laborer. At home, he was the authority. Jian Lu tried speaking gently to test the waters first.
Who would have thought that Jian Hualin, long accustomed to being autocratic, would explode immediately—as if every strand of hair were standing on end. His chopsticks slammed onto the table, and the pine wood table jolted violently. “If not Hong Qiang, then who? He’s sturdy, works quickly, and is willing to be my Jian family’s live-in son-in-law. Where else are you going to find such a good son-in-law?”
Jian Hualin shot to his feet and threw a threatening glare at his youngest daughter. His already stern face took on a murderous air. “I’ve already settled this match with Hong Qiang. Once the third one is married, I’ll arrange yours!”
His tone brooked no argument. No one could change his decision. Jian Hualin tossed out one final sentence and strode outside, leaving the three women in the main hall looking at each other.
The night was deep as ink. The Xingmin Production Brigade was utterly silent, with only Jian Lu still pondering her future.
The kang beneath her was warm, but thinking of the original host’s fate in the book, Jian Lu couldn’t help but shiver. This man—she would not marry him.
But it was only 1970. The great movement still had several years to go. Collective campaigns were being waged everywhere. Take the original host’s Red Star Commune Xingmin Production Brigade, for instance—surrounded by mountains on three sides. To leave and go to the county town was over forty li, and the mountain roads were rugged. Most importantly, it was extremely difficult for a person to move about freely these days.
Travel required a letter of introduction. Buying things required grain coupons, meat coupons, cloth coupons… Private trading was explicitly forbidden and would be classified as speculation and profiteering. If caught, you’d go to prison.
Moreover, she had no money. After transmigrating, she’d gone through all the original host’s belongings in her room—a total of two yuan, three jiao, and six fen. Truly poor.
As for arguing with Jian Hualin about not marrying, she’d tested the waters tonight with one sentence and knew it was impossible. He was the head of the household, the only decision-maker. No one could challenge his authority. Besides, he held the household registration—she really couldn’t run.
Feeling that there was no way out, Jian Lu had a rare bout of insomnia, worrying about how to get rid of this Hong Qiang marriage match. It wasn’t until the sky began to show the pale white of dawn that her eyelids finally started to droop…
=
The next day, snow filled the sky, pounding against the windows with a whooshing sound, decorating the glass panes with dots of snowy white.
The last to rise in the household, Jian Lu had just opened the door when she felt the force of the wind and snow. The world before her was wrapped in silver—a scene with its own unique charm.
Before transmigrating, as a native southerner, Jian Lu had endless beautiful fantasies about snow. If the heavens were kind and occasionally a few snowflakes fell that melted the moment they landed, she and her colleagues would run out to admire them, then take photos and post them on WeChat Moments and Weibo as a full commemorative package.
Now? Jian Lu, who couldn’t handle the cold well, could only wrap her padded jacket tighter, hunch her shoulders, and step into the wind and snow.
It was truly cold!
A biting cold. The wind seemed to drill into her very bones, instantly waking her from drowsiness.
“Look at how cold you are.” Jian Xin felt this winter was about as cold as previous years—but she’d endured cold for twenty years too. It was just that her sister seemed especially intolerant of it this year. “Drink a cup of hot water to warm up.”
The enamel cup on the table bore a magpie design, with a large ring of paint chipped off around the rim. It was an old family possession. Jian Lu only felt better after downing a cup of hot water.
“Where are Mom and Dad?” She was still planning to probe for information about Hong Qiang and think of a way out.
“They went to the brigade headquarters. There’s an ideological education meeting today.” Jian Xin went to the room and found her gray woolen sweater, handing it to her sister. “Put this on. It’ll be cold when you go out later. I don’t know what’s with you this year—how can you be this sensitive to cold?”
“Isn’t this the new clothes you had made this year? It’s fine, I have something to wear.”
Jian Xin was getting married, and the family had made her a new woolen sweater. She’d only worn it a few times.
“Why be so polite with me? Put it on!” Jian Xin stuffed the garment into her sister’s arms and urged her back to her room to change. “This new one is much warmer.”
Jian Lu, the fake northerner who’d been looked down upon, surrendered to the cold. She truly had never experienced such a freezing winter. She had no choice but to put on the woolen sweater, don the thick padded jacket, and wrap herself up like a zongzi before heading out with her third sister.
The two of them were going to their eldest sister’s in-laws’ house today.
The Jian family’s eldest daughter, Jian Yue, had also married within the same production brigade—just farther from the Jian home. The Jian family was on the east side of the production brigade, and Jian Yue’s in-laws were on the west side.
When they arrived, Jian Yue hurriedly welcomed them inside.
“Are you frozen?” Jian Yue took after their mother Zhang Cuixia in appearance, with gentleness written all over her brows and eyes. She’d warmed the room in advance, waiting for her two sisters to arrive.
“Eldest sister, it’s fine!” Jian Xin pulled out a bench and sat down with practiced familiarity.
“I’m alright.” Jian Lu rubbed her hands together the moment she entered, savoring the rare warmth.
Jian Yue had long heard from their third sister that their fourth sister had recently become especially intolerant of cold. Seeing it now, it was indeed true. “Did that illness last week wreck your health? You need to take care of yourself from now on.”
A week ago, the original host had fallen ill and her soul had been replaced. Jian Lu could only go along with this explanation now.
Today, the two of them had come to see their eldest sister to discuss preparations for Jian Xin’s wedding in another half month. Jian Lu had tagged along to take a look.
While the eldest and third sisters exchanged intimate words, Jian Lu observed their eldest sister’s in-laws’ home. There weren’t many people in the room. It was winter now—the ground frozen hard, the slack farming season. The commune was busy conducting ideological education meetings in batches. Quite a few of the Fang family had gone, and the remaining few were resting and chatting in another room.
“You’re getting married soon. Take these two yuan and buy some things you need when the time comes.” Jian Yue had already arranged with Jian Xin that she’d come help on the wedding day. She also secretly slipped her third sister some money, and dug out an old pair of woolen gloves for her fourth sister.
“Lulu, take these. Your health isn’t good right now—don’t let yourself get frostbitten again.”
Jian Xin felt the money burning in her hand. Their eldest sister didn’t have it easy at her in-laws’ either. She was about to decline and push it back when their eldest sister pressed her hand down firmly. “Why be so polite with me? You only get married once in your life. You should have some glory—wear a new outfit.”
Jian Xin had no choice but to accept.
The two sisters accepted their eldest sister’s gifts, thanked her sweetly, and then left.
In the afternoon, it was the sisters’ turn to attend the meeting at the brigade headquarters. The snow had stopped by now, but the accumulation wasn’t shallow. The two walked at a moderate pace. When they reached near the educated youths’ quarters, they ran into someone Jian Lu didn’t want to see—Jian Hualin’s chosen live-in son-in-law, Hong Qiang.
Hong Qiang had a fierce look—big and bulky, with a square face and rough features. He was also on his way to the brigade headquarters for the ideological education meeting. But because his parents had died young and no one had disciplined him, he’d been lazy and undisciplined since childhood. He was dawdling on his way when he came face to face with the Jian family’s fourth girl, Jian Lu.
If you asked which girl in Red Star Commune was the prettiest, it was naturally Jian Lu.
Right now, even wearing a padded jacket covered in patches, her good looks couldn’t be concealed. The wind blew past her fair, oval face. Her peach-blossom eyes quickly looked away upon seeing the person before her. Her slender swan-like neck seemed to glow. The most eye-catching part was still her towering chest, like two peaches hidden beneath her clothes—it made Hong Qiang’s eyes burn.
Hong Qiang had originally agreed with Jian Hualin to formally propose in a month. At this moment, he actually felt a month was too long.
“Comrade Jian Lu!” Hong Qiang stepped forward in two strides. Realizing his eagerness, he added, “Comrade Jian Xin is here too.”
Jian Xin glanced at her future brother-in-law. He was tall and big, like a mountain—quite intimidating. But thinking that this person would soon be family, she naturally became more amiable. “Comrade Hong Qiang, you’re still not heading to the brigade headquarters?”
“I got up late.” Hong Qiang answered Jian Xin’s question, but his eyes were locked on Jian Lu.
Jian Lu only felt a sharp gaze sweeping across her cheeks and everywhere else—even glancing at her chest… Disgusting!
Don’t let Hong Qiang’s current pretence of gentleness and politeness fool you. In reality, he was violent by nature and easily enraged. In modern terms, he seemed to have manic episodes—completely unable to control his emotions.
Jian Lu was most afraid of dealing with people like this. Fine one second, the next second they could go crazy and attack you. Such people were truly terrifying.
People with unstable emotions were like time bombs—you had no idea when they would explode.
“Comrade Hong, please let us pass. We’re in a hurry to get to the brigade headquarters.” Jian Lu’s face was cold, and her words, wrapped in the freezing wind, lost all warmth.
Hong Qiang didn’t get angry at his sweetheart. If anyone else had spoken to him like that, he’d have already raised his hand. But this was Jian Lu—delicate and charming Jian Lu. Even with a cold face, she had a unique appeal.
“Alright, you two go ahead. See you around.” Hong Qiang wasn’t in a hurry. In another month, this great beauty would be his!
Hong Qiang stared blankly at Jian Lu’s departing figure, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed, fantasizing about future intimate moments with her…
But then he snapped out of it and saw ahead that Gou Dan from the brigade was talking to Jian Lu. Jian Lu was chatting and laughing with fifteen-year-old Gou Dan, quite amiable. That scene instantly made him frown.
After the others left, he caught up to Gou Dan in a few strides and grabbed him by the collar.
“Gou Dan, what were you just saying to Jian Lu?”
Gou Dan was small and skinny—how could he withstand Hong Qiang’s powerful yank? He was immediately choked by his collar, struggling to breathe. “N-nothing…”
“Damn it, you still want to lie to me? What did you say? Why did Jian Lu smile at you?” Hong Qiang remembered how Jian Lu had smiled so brightly at someone else just now, and a nameless fire rose up, burning him uncomfortably.
Gou Dan shrank back, trembling as he explained, “I… I just asked if her family could trade eggs. My sister just had a baby, and we don’t have enough eggs at home. I wanted to borrow a few.”
“That’s it?”
“Really! Just that, nothing else!” Gou Dan, pinned by Hong Qiang’s fierce glare, shook with fear.
“If I see you talking to Jian Lu again, I’ll break your legs. Get lost.”
Hong Qiang glared viciously at Gou Dan, who’d fallen flat on his backside, and gave him two more hard kicks to the stomach before cursing and walking off.
Jian Lu was his wife. Any man who dared talk to her was asking for death!